Operations Portfolio Lead

Fonterra; Auckland; Hybrid; NZD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Fair pay

Health & well-being programs

Professional development opportunities

Career growth support

Flexible/hybrid working where possible

Employee recognition

Community involvement and cultural 연결

Job summary

Fonterra is seeking an ambitious Operations Portfolio Lead to drive strategic initiatives across the Operations portfolio. You will partner with leaders across Operations, Foodservice, and Ingredients to align priorities, deliver insights, and turn strategy into measurable action.

You’ll work across senior stakeholders, coordinate cross-functional delivery, and translate complex data into clear recommendations that advance our strategic priorities.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in strategy, portfolio management, business planning, consulting, or similar roles.
• Strong relationship-building skills with the ability to influence senior stakeholders.
• Excellent written and verbal communication, distilling complex information into clear insights.
• Experience coordinating initiatives with diverse research, analytics, and priorities.
• Critical thinking and structured problem solving for future opportunities.
• Strong commercial acumen to evaluate opportunities and drive value.
• Ability to handle ambiguity, navigate complexity, and deliver outcomes.
• Proactive, collaborative approach with bias for action and delivery.

Responsibilities

• Supporting strategic priorities, planning activities, and business-critical projects across Operations.
• Leading and coordinating high-impact initiatives across the Operations portfolio.
• Preparing insights, recommendations, and materials for leadership forums and strategic discussions.
• Building strong relationships across Operations, Foodservice, Ingredients, and broader business functions.
• Facilitating stakeholder engagement to align priorities and drive outcomes.
• Identifying opportunities for growth, innovation, and continuous improvement.
• Translating complex information into clear insights and actionable recommendations.

Skills

Strategy

Portfolio management

Stakeholder engagement

Communication

Problem solving

Delivery

Job description

Position Description

At Fonterra Te Mātāpuna, we want everyone to feel they can be themselves.

Imagine Tomorrow with Us | Ataa whakaarohia tō āpōpō

At Fonterra Te Mātāpuna, we want everyone to feel they can be themselves.

Whether you're early in your career or ready for your next step, Fonterra offers a unique opportunity to grow with a global dairy co-operative that values care, collaboration, and contribution.

Owned by New Zealand dairy farmers and supported by a dedicated team, we are all working together to create a better future. Imagine tomorrow with us, where your career can grow, and you can create positive change.

About us | He kupu mō mātou

The Operations team is at the heart of delivering on Fonterra's purpose of creating goodness for generations. Through collaboration, innovation, and operational excellence, we help shape the future of our Co-operative while connecting strategy to execution across a diverse and complex portfolio.

About the Opportunity | Mō tēnei tūranga

As the Operations Portfolio Lead, you will play a key role in supporting strategic priorities across Fonterra's Operations portfolio.

This is a unique opportunity that combines strategic thinking, stakeholder engagement, and project delivery. Working closely with leaders across Operations, you will lead special projects, support strategic planning activities, prepare insights for key leadership forums, and help drive alignment across a broad and complex portfolio.

You’ll also partner across Operations, Foodservice, and Ingredients to identify opportunities for growth, innovation, and continuous improvement. Acting as a connector across the business, you’ll bring people together, influence outcomes, and help turn strategy into action.

Reporting to the GM Strategic Operations, you’ll partner with leaders across the Co-operative to navigate complexity, drive momentum, and deliver meaningful outcomes.

Key Responsibilities Include

• Supporting strategic priorities, planning activities, and business-critical projects across Operations.
• Leading and coordinating high-impact initiatives across the Operations portfolio.
• Preparing insights, recommendations, and materials for leadership forums and strategic discussions.
• Building strong relationships across Operations, Foodservice, Ingredients, and broader business functions.
• Facilitating stakeholder engagement to align priorities and drive outcomes.
• Identifying opportunities for growth, innovation, and continuous improvement.
• Translating complex information into clear insights and actionable recommendations.

About You | Mōu

You’ll be a strategic and highly collaborative professional who enjoys working across a wide range of stakeholders and priorities. You thrive in fast-paced environments, are comfortable navigating ambiguity, and have a natural ability to bring people together to achieve outcomes.

You are equally comfortable thinking strategically and rolling up your sleeves to make things happen. Known for your strong communication skills and relationship-building capability, you’ll be able to influence at senior levels and connect the dots across complex challenges.

You Will Bring

• 5+ years’ experience in strategy, portfolio management, business planning, consulting, project delivery, or a similar strategic role.
• Strong relationship-building skills with the ability to influence and engage senior stakeholders.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to distil complex information into clear and compelling insights.
• Experience coordinating initiatives involving varied research and analytical workstreams, stakeholders and competing priorities.
• Critical thinking and strategic problem solving, with the ability to apply structured approaches (e.g. scenario planning) to define future opportunities.
• Strong commercial acumen to support evaluation of opportunity, definition of initiatives targets and drive value realisation.
• The ability to work through ambiguity, navigate complexity, and drive outcomes.
• A proactive, collaborative approach with a strong bias for action and delivery.

Our Values | Ngā Aura

At Fonterra, our values of Good Together, Better Every Day, and Every Drop Counts, are for everyone – no matter your background, identify or experience. These values guide us in delivering exceptional outcomes for our farmers, customers, communities, and each other. Discover how your values align with ours by taking our Values Quiz.

Our Commitment to You | Tā mātou oati

We care for our people globally. Our comprehensive benefits support your well-being, development, and work-life balance:

• Fair and equitable pay
• Health and well-being programs (medical, mental health support)
• Professional development opportunities
• Career growth support
• Work-life balance options (flexible/hybrid working where possible)
• Employee recognition
• Support for community involvement and cultural connection

To learn more, visit Fonterra Careers.

A Career of Opportunities | Ngā Mahi

At Fonterra, we are inspired by purpose and guided by our principles and values. Together, we create goodness for generations and make a global impact at a local level. As part of our Co-operative, you are an everyday creator, imagining what Fonterra, dairy, and you can be here.

Join Us | Tātou Tātou

Does this sound good to you? Come join our whānau – bring your whole self, and let’s solve for better together.

You, me, us together, Tātou, tātou.

Together, we're shaping a future of inclusion | He Wāhi mō te Katoa

Inclusion is key to our Co-operative. We’re building a team that reflects the diverse world we live in, believing it drives better decisions and innovation.

We welcome applications from all backgrounds (ethnicities, genders, identities, orientations, ages, abilities, neurotypes, cultures, religions).

Even if you don't meet every requirement listed, we encourage you to apply; we value your potential and growth.

If you face accessibility issues or need accommodations during the process, please contact your recruiter. We ensure fair participation, allowing you to be at your best. Tātou, tātou.

Applications close at midnight on Monday 28th September 2026.